1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a napkin and other accessories holder and more particularly pertains to a new napkin/picture holder for storing napkins in an attractive manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of napkin and other accessories holder is known in the prior art. More specifically, napkin and other accessories holder heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,177,187; U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,014; U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,844; U.S. Pat. No. 1,400,564; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 191,592; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 209,314.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new napkin/picture holder. The inventive device includes a support having a bottom wall and a pair of side walls integrally attached to either side of the bottom wall and extending upwardly and each having a main portion and a wing portion which is turned over upon and spaced from the main portion to form a picture-receiving slot therebetween. The side walls are spaced from one another to essentially form a napkin-receiving slot therebetween. As a second embodiment, the bottom wall is supported upon a base member having an upper portion which swivels relative to the base portion. As a third embodiment, a plurality of ring members are attached to the side walls and are adapted to hold and store selected usable accessories. As a fourth embodiment, one of the side walls is spring-loaded and hingedly attached to the side of the bottom wall and is engageable with napkins placed between the side walls. As a fifth embodiment, a pair of leaf members are hingedly attached to the side walls and have picture-receiving slits.
In these respects, the napkin/picture holder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of storing napkins in an attractive manner.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of napkin and other accessories holder now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new napkin/picture holder construction wherein the same can be utilized for storing napkins in an attractive manner.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new napkin/picture holder which has many of the advantages of the napkin and other accessories holder mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new napkin/picture holder which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art napkin and other accessories holder, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a support having a bottom wall and a pair of side walls integrally attached to either side of the bottom wall and extending upwardly and each having a main portion and a wing portion which is turned over upon and spaced from the main portion to form a picture-receiving slot therebetween. The side walls are spaced from one another to essentially form a napkin-receiving slot therebetween. As a second embodiment, the bottom wall is supported upon a base member having an upper portion which swivels relative to the base portion. As a third embodiment, a plurality of ring members are attached to the side walls and are adapted to hold and store selected usable accessories. As a fourth embodiment, one of the side walls is spring-loaded and hingedly attached to the side of the bottom wall and is engageable with napkins placed between the side walls. As a fifth embodiment, a pair of leaf members are hingedly attached to the side walls and have picture-receiving slits.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new napkin/picture holder which has many of the advantages of the napkin and other accessories holder mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new napkin/picture holder which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art napkin and other accessories holder, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new napkin/picture holder which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new napkin/picture holder which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new napkin/picture holder which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such napkin/picture holder economically available to-the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new napkin/picture holder which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new napkin/picture holder for storing napkins in an attractive manner.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new napkin/picture holder which includes a support having a bottom wall and a pair of side walls integrally attached to either side of the bottom wall and extending upwardly and each having a main portion and a wing portion which is turned over upon and spaced from the main portion to form a picture-receiving slot therebetween. The side walls are spaced from one another to essentially form a napkin-receiving slot therebetween. As a second embodiment, the bottom wall is supported upon a base member having an upper portion which swivels relative to the base portion. As a third embodiment, a plurality of ring members are attached to the side walls and are adapted to hold and store selected usable accessories. As a fourth embodiment, one of the side walls is spring-loaded and hingedly attached to the side of the bottom wall and is engageable with napkins placed between the side walls. As a fifth embodiment, a pair of leaf members are hingedly attached to the side walls and have picture-receiving slits.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new napkin/picture holder that conveniently stores napkins and functions as a picture frame.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new napkin/picture holder that conveniently stores selected accessories useful for the table.